Synopsis

Just before Walter Egret is killed in a hit-and-run, he phoned his half-brother Sammy to report that he’d unearthed their missing father’s pocket watch, along with a pile of human bones. The project is put on hold until it can be determined if the site is an Indian burial ground. Then the bones disappear.

Now Sammy and his brother’s three orphaned children want Eve Appel to go pro, applying her innate snoopiness to the trade of private investigator.

Eve already has her hands full with her two consignment stores. What is she going to do? Sammy and Walter are Miccosukee Indians, and Walter was employed as a backhoe operator on a construction site for a sportsmen’s resort. Was Walter’s death murder or an accident? If the bones belong to Sammy’s father, how did they get there? Delving into these mysteries, Eve is aided by her usual crew of friends and family. This adventure will not only up the stakes for Eve as an investigator, but it will also open her eyes to life possibilities she never imagined.

About The Author –

Lesley retired from her life as a professor of psychology and reclaimed her country roots by moving to a small cottage in the Butternut River Valley in upstate New York. In the winter she migrates to old Florida—cowboys, scrub palmetto, and open fields of grazing cattle, a place where spurs still jingle in the post office, and gators make golf a contact sport. Back north, the shy ghost inhabiting the cottage serves as her literary muse. When not writing, she gardens, cooks and renovates the 1874 cottage with the help of her husband, two cats and, of course, Fred the ghost, who gives artistic direction to their work.

She is the author of a number of mystery series (Microbrewing Series, Big Lake Mystery Series, Eve Appel Mystery Series and the Laura Murphy Mysteries), a standalone mystery (Angel Sleuth) and numerous short stories.

Why have I not heard of this author before? I can tell you that I have found a new hero in Eve Appel. She is one sassy, funny, and determined woman. The author has done a great job of keeping the story at a high caliber level with a mystery within a mystery. It's not everyday that a construction company digs up bones at a job site. The question is who is do the bones belong to? How long have they been there and how did they get there?

I loved reading about Eve's shop and all the nice things she had there for customers to look at. The grandmother is a character that I want to hang out with. She is feisty and can be very forceful at times. She is someone you really want on your side. The story is very interesting as the bones discovered could be those found on an Indian burial ground. I loved how the author gives details of the Miccosukee tribe. Sammy , Eve's boyfriend is a Miccosukke Indian and he and his brother Walter believe the bones found could be their father. Walter is mysterious when he finds something among the bones and slips it in his pocket. What did he find that could put him in danger?

I think my favorite character has to be the mob boss that is Eve's friend. He is one powerful man that can put fear in people just by looking at them. Eve trusts him and finds herself asking for his help with several issues that only he can solve without drawing attention to himself. I loved how he is very kind to Eve and will do anything for her. It is an uncommon friendship that really makes the story intriguing.

The story has many twists in it and I like how the author incorporated an aspect of the story that involves a young boy who could face jail time . I don't want to give that part of the story away but it ties into the main story very nicely. There are some very emotional moments in the story that readers will find compelling. The ending is excellent and I believe readers may be a bit surprised. Grab your copy of this mystery and follow Eve and her crew as the mystery will take them to seedy parts of town and danger that appears out of nowhere.

I received a copy of this book from The Great Escapes Book Tour. The review is my own opinion.